For purposes of this part, the term—

Electronic record means a record created, generated, communicated, or stored by electronic means.

E-mail means a document created or received on a computer network for transmitting messages electronically, and any attachments which may be transmitted with the document.

Employee means any officer or employee of a regulated entity or the Office of Finance.

Record means any information, whether generated internally or received from outside sources by a regulated entity or the Office of Finance, related to the conduct of the business of a regulated entity or the Office of Finance (which business, in the case of the Office of Finance, shall include any functions performed with respect to the Financing Corporation) or to legal or regulatory requirements, regardless of the following—

(1) Form or format, including hard copy documents (e.g., files, logs, and reports), electronic documents (e.g., e-mail, databases, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, electronic reporting systems, electronic tapes and back-up tapes, optical discs, CD-ROMS, and DVDs), and voicemail or recorded telephone line records;

(2) Where the information is stored or located, including network servers, desktop or laptop computers and handheld computers, other wireless devices with text messaging capabilities, and on-site or off-site at a storage facility;

(3) Whether the information is maintained or used on regulated entity or Office of Finance equipment, or on personal or home computer systems of an employee; or

(4) Whether the information is active or inactive.

Record hold means a requirement, an order, or a directive from a regulated entity, the Office of Finance, or FHFA that the regulated entity or the Office of Finance is to retain records relating to a particular issue in connection with an actual or a potential FHFA examination, investigation, enforcement proceeding, or litigation of which the regulated entity or the Office of Finance has received notice from FHFA or otherwise has knowledge.

Record retention schedule means a schedule that details the categories of records a regulated entity or the Office of Finance is required to retain and the corresponding retention periods. The record retention schedule includes all media, such as microfilm and machine-readable computer records, for each record category.

Retention period means the length of time that records must be kept before they are destroyed, as determined by the organization's record retention schedule. Records not authorized for destruction have a retention period of “permanent.”

[76 FR 33127, June 8, 2011, as amended at 78 FR 2324, Jan. 11, 2013]